The Lightning Thief Lord
by ChickWithThePurpleGuitar
Summary: A/H. Bianca and Nico di Angelo have just joined the most famous street gang in New York City, run by the brave Percy Jackson. But after witnessing what Percy's gang really is, she starts having doubts about bringing her brother there. And Percy has doubts about letting them in.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello peoples. Here's my new fic. I hope you like it.**

**Just so you know, the plot is half-based on The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, so you might find some similarities to that, although there are plenty of differences too. Anyway, please enjoy this first chapter and please review!**

**By the way, in this story, there are no demigods. All the characters are human.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or The Theif Lord.**

Chapter One

"Nico, run!" Bianca di Angelo shouted.

"I _am _running!" her little brother shouted back.

As the two siblings ran through the streets and alleys of New York City, Bianca once again contemplated on the wisdom of bringing the ten-year-old to rob a bank. But Percy had been right when he'd sent them— Nico was good at distracting people while a job was getting done. Until the police showed up, of course. They were always ruining everything, those cops.

"How much farther is it?" Nico called. His breaths were coming in pants, and Bianca knew that before long, he'd be too exhausted to run any more.

Bianca gripped the money bag tightly in one hand and grabbed her brother's hand with the other. "Not much farther," she promised.

After a minute or two, Bianca risked a glance back at their pursuers. The six police officers were no longer running after them, but were climbing into a car.

Bianca's eyes widened, and she started running faster, pulling Nico with her. The officers would _definitely _catch them in a car.

Luckily, they reached their destination before the cops could even turn the key. Bianca pulled her little brother into a remote alley too small for cars to enter (smart thinking on Percy's part). The siblings collapsed to the ground, one on either side of the door cleverly hidden in the wall.

"We made it," Nico gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"Yeah," Bianca agreed.

"You still have the money?" Nico then asked.

"Of course." His sister held up the sack.

"Cool. I hope Percy buys new food soon. I'm hungry."

Bianca smiled at her little brother. She was proud of him—more so than she ever had been. Life must've been hard for him over the past month—running away from the orphanage, getting used to living with Percy and the others. Even now, he'd just robbed a bank and he looked totally fine with it; almost… happy.

Before she could ask her brother about this, though, he jumped up and knocked on the door, anxious to get inside. Bianca stood as well, and pulled her floppy green cap lower over her face as the voice came from inside.

"Password question: Who is the Greek god of the skies?"

Bianca sighed. Percy took way too much pride in his Greek mythology. Luckily, Nico also took pride in his Mythomagic.

"Zeus," he answered. "6500 attack power, plus 30,000 points for lightning strikes."

The door opened and Percy sighed. "You see, this is how I know it's really you guys," he told them. "No one else puts Mythomagic stats at the end of their answers."

Nico just grinned at him. Percy rolled his eyes and ruffled the kid's hair. "You guys got the cash?"

Bianca nodded and held up the sack. "But the cops were right behind us. I don't know if they saw us go into the alley or not."

Worry flickered in Percy's eyes and he glanced nervously at the alley entrance. "Go on inside, kids," he told them distractedly. "I'll take care of the cops."

Nico shrugged. "Okay. You got any food?"  
Bianca pushed him inside. "Ask Annabeth for food."

Nico ran down the long hallway to their hideout. Bianca hesitated, watching Percy carefully. He was leaning against the wall just inside the alley, waiting for the cops to catch up. Bianca watched him pull an expensive-looking cigarette out of his pocket and stick it unlit between his teeth. As the police officers hurried towards him, Percy spoke.

"What're you looking for, Officers?"

The officer who seemed to be in charge of the group stopped short and held out his arms to hold back his men. "Mr. Jackson! What are you doing here?"

Bianca frowned. How did the cops know Percy's last name?

"I was _about _to take my little cousins home," Percy replied coldly, his voice slightly muffled by the cigarette in his mouth. "But they were crying about the scary men chasing them."

Bianca's eyes widened. What was he _doing? _The head police officer's face took on the same horrified expression. "Well, uh—Mr. Jackson, we—we saw those children r-robbing a bank," he stuttered.

Percy took the cigarette out of his mouth and glared at the cops. "Are you suggesting my cousins are thieves?"

The man gulped. "W-well, sir, th-there were witnesses, and—"

Percy threw his cigarette to the ground and squished it under his foot. "If my father found out about this, this cigarette would be your _head. _You understand, Officers?" They all nodded quickly. Percy glared at them all. "My cousins aren't thieves. Now get out of here."

Within half a minute, they were gone. Percy sighed and shook his head, waiting until they were completely out of sight before he turned back to the alley. Bianca had been staring at him and therefore couldn't get out of the way before he saw her standing there. But Percy didn't look angry at her for eavesdropping. In fact, he just looked tired.

"Here's a tip, Bianca," he said softly. "Next time you do something that's against the rules… don't get caught."  
With that, he strode past her into the hideout. Bianca hesitated to follow him, wondering if his comment had been referring to the bank robbery or her watching his conversation with the cops.

Somehow, she had a feeling he'd been talking about both.

**A/N: There's that. I hope you liked it. On a completely unrelated note, I'm watching the Lightning Thief movie. It's so good, but so bad at the same time! Lol, I can't wait for Sea of Monsters in August! Tyson's played by a Canadian and Chiron's played by the British guy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer! It's gonna be awesome! Anyway, never mind that. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Here's the next chapter. **

**This chap is dedicated to my little friend Bookgirl, whose OC I stole for this AU.**

**Disclaimer: I own nada. **

**Please review!**

* * *

Chapter Two

Percy Jackson strode confidently into the abandoned Broadway theater that his gang called home, determined not to let them see the frustrated look in his eyes. He sat in one of the few remaining seats and watched his family go about their daily lives.

Annabeth Chase, his second-in-command as well as his girlfriend, was standing at the table they had in the middle of the theater, pulling Nico's hair out of his face as the little boy ate the chocolate chip cookies she'd made him.

Percy sometimes felt bad about sending Nico and his sister out on jobs. They were new members of his gang, The Heroes, and it was obvious Bianca didn't like the idea of her little brother stealing. But, as Percy had explained to her, stealing was the only way to get food, the way they lived. The way Percy lived, it was the only way to get his father's attention.

"Percy, I don't think you should send Nico out anymore," Annabeth called to him. "He's too innocent."

"I don't mind," Nico assured her, his mouth full of cookies. "I like it. Can I have another cookie?"

Annabeth laughed and nodded. "Sure, kid." She glanced at the back of the theater as she got another cookie for Nico. "Percy?"

Percy looked up at her, not really listening. "Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah, sure, I'll… I'll send someone else next time."

Annabeth frowned. "Percy, are you all right? You look… upset about something."

Before Percy could reply, Bianca came into the hideout, money sack in hand. Percy watched her silently as she walked up to the stage and pulled up the trap door set in the middle. She dropped the cash into the hole under the stage, then came to sit at the table next to her brother, avoiding Percy's gaze the whole time.

Percy sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. Annabeth glanced back and forth between him and Bianca, frowning thoughtfully. "Percy? Are you okay?" she asked again.

"I'm fine," Percy managed through gritted teeth. He could feel a headache coming on, and he stood from his seat. "I just need some air. I'll be back later."  
Luckily for him, Annabeth knew better than to question him further. But she watched him suspiciously as he grabbed his things from the table and slipped out into the night.

* * *

Once Percy was out of earshot, Annabeth turned on the twelve-year-old sitting in front of her. "Do you have any idea what that was about?"

Bianca shook her head nervously, refusing to meet Annabeth's gaze.

"Do you think I should have offered him a cookie?" Nico asked her, chocolate spread across his mouth.

Annabeth laughed and handed him a napkin. "I think he's all right without one, Nico. But thanks for offering."

Nico grinned at her and wiped his face. She turned back to his sister. "How'd the job go?"

Bianca shrugged, playing with her hands nervously. "It was all right," she said softly.

Nico pulled at Annabeth's sleeve. "I thought it was fun," he told her. "I showed this lady my Mythomagic cards, and she called me sweet. And then she gave me a piece of candy, but it was orange so I didn't eat it. And then, while Bianca was stealing the money, the man who was guarding all the money vaults taught me how to play poker, and I won _two dollars!_"

Annabeth ruffled his hair. "Good for you, kid. Now, I need to talk to you guys. I think Percy's—," she cut herself off and looked around the theater, frowning. "Where's Leo?" she wondered aloud. "LEO! GET DOWN HERE! GANG MEETING!"

"Aw, Annabeth, do I have to?" a voice called from above. "I'm almost done fixing my lighter!"

Annabeth sighed. "Leo Valdez!" she called. "Get down here _right _now, or I'll take that lighter and shove it up your—"

"All right, all right, I'm coming!" Annoyed grumbles could be heard as a boy climbed over the theater's balcony and dropped down to meet them.

Annabeth frowned disapprovingly at him. "Leo, how many times have I told you to use the stairs? You're gonna break something."

Leo smiled mischievously at her. "Stairs are for mortals. I'm a hero! Or, at least… that's what Percy says."

Annabeth shook her head. "Never mind Percy's heroism, Leo. We need to talk."

Leo jumped into a seat across from the table, grinning. "Are we talking about the Winter Solstice? I'm so excited—I got Thalia a Christmas present."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Leo, why do you even try? Thalia doesn't like you."

Leo crossed his arms. "I can still get her a present, can't I?"

Bianca took off her cap so she could see them better. "Wait, Annabeth, who's Thalia?"

"And what's the Winter Solstice?" Nico asked, speaking slowly so as to pronounce it correctly.

"It's the shortest day of the year," Bianca explained to him.

Annabeth nodded. "Right. And it's also the day when a meeting is held between the street gangs of Manhattan. Mostly, the Heroes and the Huntresses."

"Huntresses?" Bianca asked.

"Our rival gang," Leo explained. "Led by the _beautiful _Thalia. Percy hates her."

"He doesn't _hate _her," Annabeth contradicted. "But honestly, they bicker so much, I'd swear they're related."

"They're not really, thought, are they?" Leo made sure. "Cause that'd be really awkward, if Percy became my brother or something when I marry Thalia."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Never gonna happen, Leo. Now, let's get back on track. We need to talk about the Winter Solstice."

The three younger children settled back in their chairs and waited for Annabeth to continue. She took a deep breath, then began her speech.

"This year's Winter Solstice is going to be different from past ones, for two reasons," Annabeth told them. "The first is that a gang from California is coming so that their leader can make a deal with Percy and Thalia. The gang is called the Legion—not the best name in the world, but we can't judge them."

"It's better than the Heroes," Leo muttered, making Nico giggle.

Annabeth glared at them both before continuing. "When the Legion comes to meet with us, you three will stay back while Percy and I have the meeting. We'll be meeting with Thalia and her second-in-command, Phoebe, as well as the Californian delegates, whose names I believe are Jason and Reyna. You have to stay out of the way, most likely with the other Huntresses and the rest of the Legion. However, you _can't _get in the way. I think Percy's anxious about this Solstice, and if you guys ruin it for him…" She let the threat hang in the air.

"I'll keep Nico out of the way," Bianca promised.

Her little brother shrugged. "I'll have my Mythomagic cards—I'll be fine."

Annabeth turned to Leo, her gaze suspicious. The boy raised an eyebrow. "You think I'll be trouble? Dude, I'll be alone with a bunch of girls. I won't be wasting time bothering you and Percy!"

Annabeth sighed. "All right. Moving on. The second reason this Solstice will be a bit different…" Her gaze slid over to Bianca and she watched the girl carefully as she spoke. "The Hunters are recruiting again."

* * *

Once Percy was far enough away from the hideout that he couldn't be seen, he slipped into an alley and unfolded his cape. The large fabric billowed in the slight breeze, the lightning bolt imprinted on it rippling dramatically. Percy fastened the cape around his neck, then moved on to the more recognizable parts of his costume.

First, the mask. It was made of plastic and tied behind his head with a piece of string, but the mask's design sent rival gangs running. It was shaped like a trident, with the three points extending a few inches above his head. The rest of the mask covered his sea-green eyes, making him look dark and mysterious—or so he liked to brag.

Then there was the sword. _Anaklusmos. _Riptide, in English. It wasn't really harmful, made of unsharpened steel, but it looked dangerous, and that was all Percy needed. He slid the sword into his belt loop and slipped out of the alley, starting towards his mom's apartment. About halfway there, something grabbed his arm and pulled him into a dark alley.

Percy hurried to unsheathe his sword, but a sharp blade suddenly pressed against his throat, stopping him.

"Stay back, Lightning Thief Lord," a soft, feminine voice growled. "This is _my _territory."

Percy peered through his mask at the stranger. It was dark, but he could make out long blonde hair streaked with blue, and bright blue eyes that shone with defiance. If she hadn't been holding a sword to his neck, Percy would've said she looked familiar. In fact, she looked _very _familiar!

Percy reached up and pulled his mask off. "Elizabeth? Elizabeth Tiles?"

The girl stiffened, frowning in confusion. Then she hesitantly pulled her sword away. "Percy Jackson?"

Percy leaned casually against the wall of the alley, studying the girl curiously. "Elizabeth, what are you doing here? Especially with that sword?"

Elizabeth glared at him. "You're not the only one with a secret, _Lightning Thief Lord. _I have a gang of my own."

Percy laughed. "You do, do you? And what's it called?"

Elizabeth stuck her sword point into the ground and leaned on it, smirking at him. "It's called… The Princess Andromeda."

* * *

**A/N: So there's that. I hope you liked it. If anyone's curious, Elizabeth has a really complicated back-story in her original story, which probably won't be completely explained in here, so if anyone wants to know about her, let me know and I'll PM you. Please review!**


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